CHAPTER 311: CHAPTER 212: THIS IS THE PRICE

Sure, here is the translated text:

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Hansa New Army Temporary Camp.

Sif sat in the main seat, her face calm, but the joy in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

Heh, so you’re the ones who couldn’t hold your breath first!

Looking at the negotiators sent by Sven the Seventh, Sif maintained her calm, carrying the demeanor of three parts arrogance and seven parts disdain of a victor, sipping coffee, waiting for Roland to return.

This is a critical moment; she doesn’t want to say the wrong thing and lose out on benefits.

Sif sat steadily, and naturally, so did the negotiator Tovting.

That’s how negotiations are, even at a disadvantage, it’s not like there’s nothing to discuss. Tovting’s face was steady, but his eyes secretly glanced at Sif, constantly weighing and trying to glean something from her expression.

Unfortunately, he was destined to be disappointed.

Sif’s political skills had improved by several levels compared to last year, and her acting was superb.

Before Roland returned, the two merely exchanged pleasantries, and Sif even asked about Sven the Seventh’s diet with great interest.

"His Majesty Sven is in great health, he eats three meals a day regularly, and has even gained a few pounds."

Tovting was very stubborn.

Sif didn’t believe a word, she didn’t even need to use Insight to know it was a lie.

It was apparent that Sven the Seventh hadn’t been doing well lately.

Moreover, the hostility from this special envoy was not strong, indicating a high possibility of compromise.

As Sif held her ground against Tovting, Roland returned.

Sif was about to rise to greet him but suddenly remembered that although she was the Vice Governor, she was still a Count, and her raised hips quietly sank back into the chair.

She smiled and briefly introduced the situation to Roland, then handed over the lead to him.

She glanced at Tovting from the corner of her eye, then signaled with her eyes to remind Roland that the other side wanted to compromise.

Upon accurately capturing the information from Sif’s gaze, Roland scrutinized Tovting, mockingly asked, "Mr. Tovting, is there something specific you’ve come for?"

"Your Excellency Governor, no need for such sarcasm. Though our country has suffered setbacks at the front lines, we still have millions of citizens and hundreds of thousands of reserves, the outcome is not certain, Your Excellency is too arrogant."

Tovting looked at Roland without humility or arrogance, arguing with reason.

Roland let out an "oh" and made a gesture of dismissal.

"Since Mr. Tovting thinks so, then please return, we can negotiate once the winner is decided."

Tovting’s face, flushed with a hint of redness, turned pale.

No humility or arrogance, right? Reasonable and well-founded, right? Understanding negotiation, right?

Roland didn’t bother with negotiation tactics, directly using power to suppress.

Even if civilization has advanced, the basis of negotiations remains strength. Without strength, even reason is useless. Moreover, the Oden Kingdom is the aggressor, sitting firmly in a moral low ground.

Roland’s disdainful gaze almost made Tovting’s brain explode with anger, but he held back.

He seemed to not see Roland’s gesture, his tone softened as he gently said:

"To reduce unnecessary casualties, His Majesty Sven of our country is willing to demonstrate goodwill for peace."

"Peace? An invader talking about peace?"

Roland’s mocking laughter made Tovting uneasy, but his next words made Tovting instantly stand up, unable to speak for a long time.

"I only accept surrender, not negotiations!"

Tovting could no longer hold back, he got up angrily, coldly saying:

"Your Excellency Governor, you are too arrogant, farewell!"

Surrender was far beyond the acceptable bottom line for Sven the Seventh, and Tovting naturally couldn’t accept it.

As the negotiations seemed to break down, Sif, understanding Roland’s signal, lightly coughed to stop Tovting.

"Mr. Tovting, if you go back like this, what will His Majesty Sven think?"

Slap the face and then give a handshake, after Roland’s threat Sif offered a way out, to at least find out Tovting’s bottom line.

Tovting paused, sighed helplessly, "Of course I wish to talk properly, but..."

"Mr. Tovting, why don’t you sit down first and tell us the conditions of His Majesty Sven?"

Sif said softly.

In the visual blind spot where Tovting couldn’t see, Roland gave Sif a thumbs up, praising her acting skills.

Tovting returned to his seat with a sullen face, speaking in a heavy voice, "First, His Majesty Sven was misled, and the invasion of your country was indeed wrong, and secondly, our army failed on the battlefield, and we are willing to make reparations."

"Our country is willing to use the mature oak trees that Your Excellency needs as a cost, to exchange for peace between the two sides."

Roland squinted his eyes, softly asked, "You mean, using these mature oak trees as a cost, to revert both sides to the pre-war state?"

Tovting said solemnly, "These oak trees can build a super fleet of over fifty main warships, with immense strategic value, and are the hope for the reconstruction of our navy. Giving them up signals our sincere intent to abandon hostility, do you not agree?"

Roland nodded, speaking calmly, "Indeed, these oak trees are valued at approximately 5.9 million crowns, and are strategic materials, with high value but no market, even if sold for 10 million crowns, someone would pay. Abandoning these oak trees also equates to abandoning the hope of rebuilding the navy within a century."

Listening to Roland’s words, Tovting slightly sighed in relief. Though Roland was appalling, at least he wasn’t making nonsense, leaving room for negotiation.

However, Roland’s next words made Tovting’s blood freeze.

Roland looked at Tovting with a smile, suddenly raising his voice, "Mr. Tovting, I’m very curious, how are you using my things to bargain with me?"

"Your, your?" Tovting stared blankly at Roland, his mind blank.

"That’s correct, I’ve already sent someone to collect these oak trees. These oak trees were planted by your country after losing the war 120 years ago, according to the treaty at that time, you are not allowed to rebuild a navy, these trees were illegally planted, and as the victor, I have the right to take necessary measures against these unlawfully planted and hostile trees toward our country."

Not only Tovting was dumbfounded, even Sif was stunned.

Can a treaty be interpreted this way?

Roland, with utmost seriousness, took out a copy of the treaty from over a hundred years ago, waving it in his hand, "Your attempt to rebuild the navy is a violation of the treaty, I haven’t asked for breach compensations, which is already considerate."

Tovting couldn’t hold back any longer, a mouthful of old blood seeped from the corner of his lips.

He stared intently at Roland, coldly asking, "Your Excellency Governor, I’ve worked in foreign diplomacy for twenty-five years and never met someone as shameless as you. I’d like to know your price for peace."

"Thanks for the compliment. My price is not that high. These illegal oak trees that originally belong to our country I’ll naturally take away. Additionally, your country must, according to the standards of defeat, cede territory, and compensate."

Roland pointed at the map hanging on the wall, speaking gravely, "Suyige State, as the starting point of your country’s invasion, must be ceded to our country. Apart from that, your country must pay 2.31 million crowns in war reparations."

The war cost 2,310 lives, and the compensation is a thousand crowns per person; this is the price of opposing him.